Plus it is a Filipino fusion themed restaurant so I was excited how it is because of the good media recommendations it has received which were really extremely commendable. The chef was of a Filipino heritage and was proud of showcasing his mom's cooking when he was little.
I've heard that the queue from the outside spans for 1 to 1.5 hours but since it was raining hard outside I am confident that it will not be apparent. I called for an UBER ride to drop me off there and I was lucky that I was second in line when they started to open at 1730H.
It was a small place composed only of a limited 24 seats which were placed close enough from each other, making the place a little crowded. The kitchen was situated across the entrance door and the bar facing it gives the customer a full view of the chef and his assistants working meticulously in the kitchen. The decorations were Filipino themed and the name speaks for itself in a Filipino way. Bad Saint hails from a familiar Filipino last name "Abad Santos".
The interior decorations includes the use of Capiz shells chandelier, a bamboo slats ceiling, mahjong tiles on the walls, vintage statues of Catholic saints, a picture of a male Igorot welcoming the customers upon entering the entrance door, etc.
The hostess was very accommodating and very charming and she took time to explain everything to me and when the order was made food just came on time for me to enjoy. I ordered the 5-course Chef's choice meal and they comprised of the following:
I started ordering the cocktail first. The name was "Diki-diki", a very Filipino drink comprised of a mixture of grapefruit juice with a pinch of lambanog... a Filipino liquor from a coconut palm common in the Tagalog Region especially Quezon Province.
Then the starter followed which comprised of the "Kinilaw" or commonly called here in the US as "ceviche". It has olives, octopus, radish, cucumber, "siling labuyo", pickled purple yam or "ube', etc. It was slightly sour in a good way and was very tasty. I enjoyed the octopus for it was very soft and it just tastefully melts in the mouth. It lingers in my tongue for a long time and it was very delicious.
The first course was the fried "tikoy" or fried Chinese doughnut with the curried crab sauce topped with orange caviar. It was very tasty as well and very delicious. The combination with the doughnut and crab sauce were excellent for the doughnut absorbed the flavor well in my mouth and had left a crunchy and chewy feeling when you eat it. Soooo good!
The second course was the sizzling "sisig" of sautéed shitaki mushroom topped with raw egg and scallions. The mushroom was very meaty and tasteful. It was sizzling hot and when mixed with the raw egg it will cook the egg and tastes very delicious. It was just seasoned right and it leaves an array of gustatory confusion in my taste buds.
After finishing up the first cocktail, I opted to order the second drink which is the "amplaya" margarita. It tastes exactly like margarita with a bitter twist. So refreshing!
The third course includes of the crispy "chicharong calamari" or squid with the tasty thickened "adobo" sauce which was very very palatable and delicious. It leaves me in a dreamy state of limbo and brought me back home.... which made me really really homesick. "Adobo" was my favorite Philippine dish and this reminds me of my dad's cooking.
The fourth course is the "ginisang ampalaya" with scrambled eggs and bean sprouts topped with crispy fried onions. "Ampalaya" is a very common vegetable meal for breakfast. It was also very delicious and fresh. Was made not really bitter but very tasty good. Hmmmm..... hmmm....
The fifth course was the "piniritong manok" on a bed of onion fried rice (mixed with sauteed yellow onion and scallion leaves) and topped with fried onions and garlic. The fried chicken was coupled with the molasses sauce which complimented the dish well and the onion fried rice was very authentic and delicious. It was unforgettable!
The dessert comprised of a sliced banana covered with melted dark chocolate and topped with crispy puffed rice. The chocolate was pure black and it blended well with the bitter and sweet taste in my mouth. It leaves you asking for more but it's only the last one to bite and nothing else. It left you hanging at the edge and craving for more and not finishing the dinner.
Other decorations found are the Philippines band era newspaper wall paper posted at the bathroom which brings me back to the era of Pinoy rock heydays. And the colorful graffiti at the outside wall was also artsy and eye catching. Despite of the crowded interior the ambiance was still true Pinoy and it is just comforting to be there despite of the pouring rain outside. I did not regret coming there alone and indulge myself with the delicious foods they prepared for me.
All in all, the experience at Bad Saint Restaurant was an entitled opportunity for me to go back to my Filipino roots, appreciating the "what haves and what nots" of my childhood and the food and the place never failed me. No wonder the raves was very unassuming and overrated, but it was good to hear that it creates a buzz in the mainstream. As a Filipino I am proud of our cuisine being patronized by the locals at DC and it had received very good reviews and accolades online. It was an honor to be here indeed.
I was just glad I decided to come here and enjoyed the food by myself. I did not regret coming here and was really proud that the food was been recognized by other cultures as well. It was a very satisfying experience indeed having dined in this famous DC restaurant.
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